Print edition for March 21, 2001

Surgeon: Some breast cancers can be excised safely: A California surgeon said an ailment that accounts for nearly 20 percent of all breast cancer cases can often be safely treated without resorting to mastectomies or radiation.

Reid says change in EPA stance is 'outrageous': Nevada's senior senator is angry over the Environmental Protection Agency's announcement it intends to reverse course on a lower arsenic standard for drinking water.

Letter: Tell Congress to end marriage tax: The House Ways and Means Committee will soon be dealing with the marriage penalty tax. Concerned citizens should send the House two messages: First, the immoral marriage penalty tax should be eliminated, not just "reduced." Second, single-earner families must also be protected. Parents who choose to raise their children themselves must get tax relief, too.

Henderson news briefs for March 21, 2001: A California-based developer will loan the Henderson Redevelopment Agency $3.1 million as part of a financing plan to begin flood control improvements at a gravel pit and concrete batch plant northwest of Interstate 215 and Stephanie Street.

Letter: Democrats know all about keeping budgets balanced: First let's put fiscal history into a bit of perspective. The last president to balance the federal budget before Bill Clinton was Lyndon Johnson, also a Democrat. He left office in 1969 with a balanced budget and a national debt of less than $1 trillion. Between Johnson and Clinton we largely lived under Republican administrations (except for four years of Jimmy Carter). Under all of those Republican administrations we did not have one balanced budget. Voodoo economics under Reagan was the worst. It resulted in large deficits and huge increases in national debt. When Clinton took office the national debt ...

Safety rules repealed: The repeal measure sailed through Congress earlier this month with help from business interests that criticized the rules' cost and scope.

Chapel owner touts one-stop marriages: CARSON CITY -- A wedding chapel owner says Nevada can improve the way it treats tourists by clearing the way for one-stop marriages.

Columnist Dean Juipe: UNLV awaits right man, great coach: Dean Juipe; Rest assured, someone with the proper credentials will step forward and accept the job of coaching the UNLV men's basketball team.

Cell phone, wireless advances announced at Vegas cellular, Internet trade show: Kevin Ferguson; Technology industry leaders are eagerly showcasing in Las Vegas the next generation cell phones that will bring movie-style graphics to the palm of your hand -- but they warn this movement will be gradual, not revolutionary.

Rebels set sights on new season: Steve Guiremand; Spring is in the air at UNLV's Rebel Park.

Beer sellers still fight 0.08 DUI level: CARSON CITY -- Assemblyman Mark Manendo said opposition to his bill that would lower the drunken driving limit is fading.

Columnist Victoria Sun: High school players make grade at amateur tourney: Victoria Sun; Three of the top 10 finishers at the Southern Nevada Amateur that concluded Sunday at Sunrise Vista at Nellis Air Force base are high school students.

Columnist Peter Benton: LVCC Pro-Member features fierce competition: Peter Benton; The weather was terrific, the course was in wonderful condition and the competition fierce in the recent Pro-Member tournament played at the Las Vegas Country Club.

Teachers' union gets little support for new tax plan: CARSON CITY -- Stymied once, the teachers' union has revived plans for a tax on business profits, but it admits it has no support so far from state legislators.

Ward 2 race is muddied further: Diana Sahagun; The campaign run for the Ward 2 seat currently held by Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald has in recent weeks become a race to see who can lodge the most ethics complaints.

Editorial: Homeowner unfairly punished by board: Government should tread lightly when it comes to intervening in the actions of private groups. But homeowners associations more and more have assumed powers that nearly rival those of government, occasionally abusing their authority without any accountability. The Nevada Legislature has imposed some restrictions on what homeowners groups can do, but laws on their own don't necessarily result in boards making decisions based on common sense. Homeowners associations should forgo fines against individuals who, through no fault of their own, have been victimized by contractors who failed to complete a job.

NLV casino owner posts improved results: Company revenues rose 38 percent to $42.8 million, while cash flow increased 36 percent to $6.1 million. But the company said disappointing results at its North Las Vegas and Reno casinos reduced earnings by $1.6 million, or 6 cents per share, despite a 123 percent increase in revenues from the two properties.

Gone, but not forgotten: Just how popular was Dale Earnhardt?

Board plans to subpoena police officers: Keith Paul; The Citizen Review Board, faced with Metro Police officers who are refusing even to show up at hearings, will now issue subpoenas to force cops to appear at inquiries regarding complaints of misconduct.

News briefs for March 21, 2001: A resolution to express support for state legislation that would allow Clark County to extend insurance benefits to employees who have domestic partners was tabled Tuesday by the County Commission.

Groundbreaking set for Friday: Construction began two weeks ago, and the casino is slated for completion in late October. Once complete, it will replace Ernie's casino, which first opened on Rancho Road in 1962. Ernie's will be demolished after the Wildfire's completion. The Wildfire will have more than 200 slots, compared to 86 at Ernie's.

Their daily iron: Seniors pumping up at area gyms: At age 53 Jack Marks had a heart attack and a triple-bypass surgery. Now the 70-year-old retired New York cabdriver spends two hours a day in the gym sculpting his body.

Letter: Spy revelation is overblown: The CIA, FBI and the KGB have never really been the adversaries the news media would like you to believe. They have always spied on each other, but each agency had thoroughly penetrated the other nearly half a century ago. They have been so thorough in this that they actually function as the same agency. Of course there are liquidations of agents now and then to show a rattling of sabers on each side, but the truth is that they are all one big extended agency.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Finding a suitable punishment is tough: NOW I KNOW how Bill Murray felt in "Groundhog Day."

Video poker bar business booming in Las Vegas: David Strow; The latest addition to the Roadrunners chain of taverns isn't your typical Las Vegas bar and casino.

Community briefs for March 21, 2001: Lake Mead National Recreation Area will again participate in the Great American Cleanup with a major project of picking up litter scheduled at Government Wash 9 a.m. Saturday beginning at the Government Wash.

Editorial: No tears for judges over pay: Certainly if this were the private sector, Rose would have an excellent argument to make, which is that two people doing the same job should be paid equally. But since Rose is an elected official, this is a much different matter. It has been a long-standing principle in government that elected officials shouldn't receive a pay increase until they face the voters again. There is no reason why judges or justices on the Supreme Court should be treated any differently than the governor, the Legislature or locally elected officials.

Colunist Elizabeth Foyt: Make-A-Wish benefit at Aladdin a success: Bowled over by the success of the first-ever gala for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Nevada, co-chairwomen Jennifer Tuttle and Helene Walker are grateful to the many who supported their sold-out evening at the Aladdin.

Obituaries for March 21, 2001: Helen A. Albano, 68, of Las Vegas died Wednesday in a local hospital. She was born April 20, 1932, in Buffalo, N.Y. A resident for 16 years, she was a homemaker.

LV hotels top 'Net searches: Bellagio led the list of Needham, Mass.-based TripAdvisor's most-searched sites among travel inquiries. Caesars Palace was second and New York-New York was fifth. The Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco was third and the Omni Royal Orleans in New Orleans ranked fourth.

Columnist Jeff Haney: Author examines pivotal period in LV sports betting: Just in time for the NCAA Tournament, "The Odds: One Season, Three Gamblers, and the Death of Their Las Vegas" hits bookstores this week.

Local supermarket chains take pride in store bakeries: Maz Jacobson; Whenever you stop in to buy a loaf of bread, package of muffins or gaudily decorated cake at your local supermarket, have you ever stopped to wonder how it was produced? It turns out that each chain has a specific way of doing things, and that items vary quite a bit from chain to chain.

Beltway set to roll out to Summerlin: Summerlin residents and others who live on the Las Vegas Valley's west side will find navigating the roads a bit easier later this month as the beltway embraces their communities.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Thursday's races at Santa Anita: 1st Race -- Solar Blast - Draws good post for the two-furlong opener, trainer Stokes gets Quarterhorse rider Stimpson here, Blast the dash. Sparklespeed - Ships in from training center for this, draws just inside top pick, Espinoza sits on Howard trainee. Value Play -- Fast Silver

Ensign must pick two federal judges, U.S. attorney: Benjamin Grove and Jace Radke; Sen. John Ensign is working "as quickly as possible" to recommend two federal judges for the U.S. District Court in Nevada and a U.S. attorney for the state.

Laborer testifies to seeing blood on carpet, portrait: Kim Smith; Jurors got two distinct pictures of murder suspect Margaret Rudin Tuesday during the testimony of a manual laborer who worked five days for her around the time of her husband's disappearance.

Public safety tax issue goes before voters again: Jeffrey Libby; Henderson voters will face the same public safety tax they voted down in November when they return to the polls in June.

County could lose vehicle privilege tax: Adrienne Packer; Clark County coffers, designated to accommodate growth by providing police, firefighters and social services, could be sucked dry if an Assembly bill introduced Monday is passed by the state Legislature, officials said.

Woodbury honored for 20 years: "My whole life is flashing before me," said Woodbury, scanning the lineup that included former commissioners Jay Bingham and Thalia Dondero, who held the record before Woodbury.

Street violence continues in neighborhood: Keith Paul; Two teenagers shot while playing basketball Tuesday afternoon were apparently innocent bystanders of a drive-by shooting in a North Las Vegas neighborhood marred by eight slayings in six weeks.

Aussie e-gaming software firm to open Las Vegas office: Gaming Entertainment's software is used by regulated cyber-gambling operators throughout the world.

Tuesday's prep results: BASEBALL

Tennis: Texas Christian shuts out UNLV men: The Rebels fell to 7-6 overall while the Horned Frogs improved to 11-2.

Ratings tumble again in XFL: David Bauder; NEW YORK -- How low can the XFL go? To history-making depths, much to NBC's chagrin.

Advertising bill runs into stiff opposition: CARSON CITY -- A bill to permit commercial advertisements in state-owned buildings ran into opposition today from members of the Assembly Government Affairs Committee.

Arbitration upheld: Agreements to arbitrate workplace disputes are enforceable even if the employer required the worker to sign the agreement in order to be hired, the court said. Ruling 5-4 for Circuit City Stores, the justices said a gay former employee cannot sue over alleged harassment at work.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Saks full of wonderful bargains: Shopping during St. Patrick's weekend was sensational. Off Fifth Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet at Belz Factory Outlet World was packed from 8-10 a.m. with those lucky enough to be preferred shoppers who are always invited to shop before the store opens at 10 a.m. Saks also gives its invited customers a continental breakfast.

Animal shelter contract request rejected: Adrienne Packer; Concerned over problems plaguing Dewey Animal Care Center, Clark County commissioners on Tuesday rejected the animal shelter's request for two five-year contract extensions.

Lanni pushes for proposal of NCAA oversight bill: That idea has long been supported by MGM MIRAGE Chairman Terry Lanni.

Judge OKs exit pay for Regent execs: David Strow; Twenty-four top executives and managers at the Regent Las Vegas will be eligible to receive as much as $1.35 million in retention and severance benefits upon the sale of the bankrupt property, under a plan approved by a federal bankruptcy judge Tuesday.

Harrah's tax break clears Legislature: Melinda Deslatte; BATON ROUGE, La. -- The state House voted Tuesday to save Harrah's New Orleans Casino, approving a new contract that cuts the gambling hall's minimum state tax in half.

College betting ban bill unveiled: Nevada lawmakers rip into legislation: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Vowing to protect student athletes from Nevada's "dangerous influence of high-stakes betting," two House lawmakers fired a shot at the gaming industry and Nevada lawmakers Tuesday.

McDonald's career hangs in balance: Erin Neff; Las Vegas City Councilman Michael McDonald will learn today whether he will retain his title and return to City Hall for a zoning meeting, which is scheduled for this afternoon.

Casinos, mines fight electricity rate hike: David Strow; Twenty-one days after hiking Nevada's electric rates by 17 percent, Sierra Pacific Resources now faces a fight from an alliance of the state's two most powerful industries -- gaming and mining.